To think this is a cruel policy, and not an actual 'tax'?

[katykuns]

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/25/spare-bedroom-tax-contradiction-impossibility?CMP=NECNETTXT766

I just think its unrealistic, and completely ignores reality that it is not just easy to drop everything and move. It is also very unfair to the disabled.

Why can they not target the damn landlords charging extortionate rents?

It is not directly affecting me, but I do claim housing benefit and I work, and life is hard. I just feel like it makes it impossible to live with a 14-25% cut of your benefit.

Its not a tax, its a benefit cut. Say it as it is ... just another attempt to make people struggling to get by struggle even more!

The only group of people that should be exempt from this are the disabled.

Not every old person has worked and paid taxes for 50-60yrs, i don't know why people spout this crap,, as if suddenly because you get a bus pass you are should now be considered a god dam saint and treated like a wise entity
I don't like the thought of the elderly or anyone for that matter being made to move, but the truth is you do not own your social housing home, it is the tenancy you have, which is like gold dust now tbh.
I think however that to combat problems like covering moving costs etc then the councils should all be made to offer incentives to move, a lot of people will not be able to do so without help even if they want to downsize.

You will still get pensioners refusing to move though.

I don't doubt that we will soon see people being offered appropriate housing in from other counties, and because people won't be able to afford this 'tax' they will end up uprooted to the arse end of nowhere, which leaves you with another set of problems, especially for socially disadvantaged people, young families and the elderly of course, those most important of all.

Iain Sim, chief executive of Coast & Country, one of the largest housing companies in the north-east of England, said it had 2,500 "under-occupiers" but only 16 spare one-bedroom homes on its books. "We are very concerned about this issue and the impact it will have on our tenants," Sim said. "This will undoubtedly have a negative effect on tenants' quality of life and potentially push more people into poverty."

Paul Fiddaman, chief executive of Cestria Community Housing, said his company had 850 working-age under-occupying tenants. "Of these, 480 are in receipt of housing benefit. If all of these tenants are to lose a portion of their housing benefit there will be an annual additional payment required from our tenants of nearly £300,000."

But, OTTMummA, the reality is that most people won't be able to simply move, as there is a shortage of appropriately sized housing to move into!

What will happen is that people will have benefits taken off them, driving families further into poverty.

How does that help anyone?

aufaniae i don't think this is the best policy to have, i think it fucking stinks tbh as they are basically taking money from people who have no choice.

That is why i said I don't doubt that we will soon see people being offered appropriate housing in from other counties, and because people won't be able to afford this 'tax' they will end up uprooted to the arse end of nowhere,

Ah OK! Sorry am tired and must be skimming rather than reading properly. That'll learn me

My mum claims DLA she has lived in social housing since i was 3 20somethingyyrs she moved last year into a 2 bed from her 3 bed which was just across from her, she swapped with friends, one of my sisters still lives at home, however that will not always be the case.
She will at some point under this end up having to pay this 'tax' or move.
In her area there are a shortage of 1 bed places, she wouldn't be able to afford this payment, i expect in the future she would be asked to move out of her area completely.
I forsee people being asked to move from South east coast to inner cities, remote towns, completely uprooted.

'Most people this will affect will end up paying the shortfall, because either there are no properties they can downsize to, or they can't afford to move.'

This. And even coughing up the rent, it's still better than the insecurity that is private letting. So many will cough it up and go further into poverty.

And when you're uprooted to the arse end of nowhere, because that's what you deserve for being such a lazy fuckwit, of course, then best of luck getting a job, which makes you even more worthy of punishment.

So I have a social worker who is absolutely refusing to recommend I have a 2 bed disabled access property, as she wants to cut Her budget by forcing me to have a live in carer (as there are employment loopholes which mean you can pay them less than minimum wage). So she is FORCING me to move into a flat where I will now get cuts in?!

I love it. So kind. How will I survive? Fuckers.

yes i know sock - we work in the same sector i think. whilst i agree councils have been asking for data and in addition to them writing to those potentially affected - Housing associations are too...

unless you are likley to be affected - right now, its something a bit vague - in the ether , mentioned somewhere - that thing thats happening but the public doesn't really know the detail.

"I forsee people being asked to move from South east coast to inner cities, remote towns, completely uprooted."

Aren't they removing the requirement for a council for people to be housed in an area they have a history with? So yes, people will end up being shipped all over the place.

The benefit cap will also disproportionately affect families in London.

I think we may do custardo,

Its infuriating reading all the gov bumph on welfare reform because its so bloody obvious whats happening whilst people who will be effected have no bloody idea they will be so are falling for the shirker nonsense

Pensioners have no opportunity at all to increase their income, whereas people of working age do.

Er yes they do. You don't suddenly lose all mental and physical capacity at midnight on your 65th(or whichever) birthday.

I forsee people being asked to move from South east coast to inner cities, remote towns, completely uprooted.

This has already happened but on a voluntary basis. Quite a few of the houses around me are rented by ex-Londoners.

Their London borough did a deal with our local council. If you were in a flat in London you were offered a move paid for by the council and some cash.

Most people, in fact I think all people on the scheme, were given the same number of bedrooms. So you left a 3 bed flat, you got a 3 bed house.

Stands up and applauds custardo for her post at 23:29pm last night . So so right.

Yep Custardos sums this government up to a tee!
Soon we'll be waving goodbye to the NHS too, Cameron has his claws into our country & is going to rip it apart for all of us that are low or working class.

This is only going to get worse.....

I imagine I'm the person who expects a room for her stepchildren. for the record I didn't. when we moved here it was for a 2 bed, we were told by our ha because of their ages we wouldn't be eligible as legally they are not allowed to share. I didn't expect to come out of work to look after my mum who was terminally ill so we lost my wage. the cut means that we will struggle but there is no option to move there are no smaller houses as we got told last time. if we stopped having stepchildren overnight (and I'd rather go without so would dp) we would rightly pay more maintenance so either way we are living on less. it also means we will be in sh longer as there no possible way to save when you already live off the bare minimum.

So you won't be moving, Wait. See what I mean, the people who dreamed up this stupid policy have zero experience of renting when you're low-income. I reckon most people will have to suck up the reduction because either there's no place for them to go (no suitable property to swap to and/or no private landlord to accept them - if you have bad credit and no guarantor, are on even partial benefits, have children (how many ads do you see that say, 'No children, pets or DSS)?) or they can't afford to move (LHA caps), or both.

The entire system of private sector letting here needs a massive overhaul that will never happen.

nope won't be moving expat no two beds available and I would rather have my stepchildren here and take the cut. couldn't private rent as don't have a first month rent and deposit upfront and none of my living relatives fit the criteria of guarantor which a lot don't nowadays. it is unfortunate but the way things are. can't see us getting out of here for a long time which is v depressing and not helpful to the housing crisis

That's the thing, Wait. We're talking about people who may not have access to guarantors, who may have been housed by the HA or council following repossesion (which means their credit is shit), who in the private sector will need to fall under the LHA cap (and may be unable to source a private sector home for this reason or the difference in rent in the private sector is even higher than in HA/council housing so it doesn't make sense to move), who can't save up first months' rent and deposit (and not all councils participate in bond schemes). So they will have to stay put.

I think so, not sure if its the same everywhere but most private rents round here say no dss in their adds, whether its only a tiny amount to top up or the full hb. we will survive the cut but I really feel for those who are going to struggle more. who the 16 pound a week will mean them going without meals or heat

I'm terrified by this. I don't have a sob story about foster children, wheelchair access or anything. I live on benefits due to ill health. I've got a spare bedroom because this ramshackle, 2-bed house with garden was the same rent as a new, double-glazed, well-fitted single bed flat. Now I'll be expected to move but won't get any help with moving costs, deposit & advance rent. It's impossible :(

I don't think most people realise this isn't about costs. The 'tax' is being taken OFF your HB entitlement, simply because you have a spare room. If my two bedrooms were knocked together, it'd be an amazing room and I would still get my single-person entitlement.

worth you getting in touch with whoever you rent from garlic you may be able to get discretionary payment for a short time or help with moving costs. it is badly thought out and for people like yourself who suffer from ill health moving could be just as detrimental as it could to someone of pensionable age. hope you get some help to explore your options

garlicblock's predicament says it all about this policy.

On another note, and I've posted this elsewhere: why the feck should it be assumed that couples share the same bedroom?

i think thats a fair assumption (what am i missing?)